YouTip

# Viewing XML Files * * * In all major browsers, you can view raw XML files. Don't expect XML files to be displayed directly as HTML pages. * * * ## Viewing XML Files - Tove Jani Reminder Don't forget me this weekend! View this XML file: [note.xml]( The XML document will be displayed with color-coded root and child elements. By clicking the plus (+) or minus (-) signs on the left side of elements, you can expand or collapse the element structure. To view the original XML source (without + and - signs), select "View Page Source" or "View Source" from the browser menu. **Note:** In Safari, only the element text will be displayed. To view the original XML, you must right-click the page and select "View Source". * * * ## Viewing Invalid XML Files If an erroneous XML file is opened, the browser will report an error. Please view this XML file: [note_error.xml]( * * * ## Other XML Examples View these XML documents to help build your understanding of XML. ( This is a CD collection stored as XML data. ( This is a plant catalog from a plant store, stored as XML data. ( This is a breakfast menu from a restaurant, stored as XML data. * * * ## Why Does XML Display Like This? XML documents don't carry information about how to display data. Since XML tags are "invented" by the author of the XML document, browsers cannot determine whether a tag like describes an HTML table or a dining table. Without any information about how to display the data, most browsers will simply display the XML document as source code. In the following chapters, we'll learn several solutions to this display problem, using CSS, XSLT, and JavaScript.